Folding seat.



J. G. ARTBR.

FOLDING SEAT.

APPLICATION nun MAY 20, 1008.

Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

4. l 9 4 l :l I

UNITED sTA Es PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. ARTER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THEODOR KUNDTZ, OFLAKEWOOD, OHIO.

FOLDING SEAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 4, 1910.

Application filed May 20, 1908. Serial No. 433,198.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN citizen of the United States of America, r

siding at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Seats; and Ihereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit pertains to make and use the same.

This im'ention relates to improvements in folding-seats comprising a.seat-section and a back-section which are adapted to be actuated out ofthe way when not in use, and this invention pertains more especially toa folding seat suitable for use in automobiles and passenger cars orother vehicles or in any place where the actuation of the aforesaidsections of the seat out of the way when not in use is desirable.

The primary object is to provide a folding scat comprising a pivotallysupported seatsection arranged to swing in a vertical lane and being inits downwardly swung or in an upright position according as theseat-section is at the one or the other extremity of its range ofmovement, a back-section arranged in an upright position over the rearend of the seat-section in the downwardly swung position of theseat-section, such an operative connection between the back-section andthe seat-section that the back-section is shifted rearwardly during themovement of the seat-section into its upright position and forwardlyduring the movement of the seat-section into its downwardly swungposition and guided and retained in a vertical position during the saidmovements.

Another object is to provide improved means for limiting the movement ofthe seatsection.

Another object is to prevent rearward swinging of the back-sectionindependently of the scat-section by pressure exerted against theforward side of the said section when the seat-section is in itsdownwardly swung position.

Another object is to provide a construction which the component partsare readily assembled and which is simple and durable.

Vith these objects in view, this invention consists in certain featuresof construction,

G. ARTER, a scribed, pointed tivcly.

and combinations of parts, hereinafter deout in the claims, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the said drawings. Figure 1 is a front view of a folding seatembodying my invention. and in this figure the seat-section and theback-section are in their downwardly swung position and forward positionres cc Fig. 2 is a vertical section 011 inc 22, Fig. 1, looking in thedirection indicated b the arrow. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectioncorresponding with Fig. 2 except that in Fig. 3 the seat-section is inits upright position parallel with the back-sectiouf Fig. 4 is aVertical section on line 44, Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicatedby the arrow, except that in Fig. 4 the upholstering of the seat-sectionis omitted.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates a stationary casing which forms achamber (I having the dimensions required to render it capable ofreceiving the seat-section B and back-section D. The chamber a is openat the front of the casing, as at 6.

Two laterally s aced stationary brackets C are secured, pre erably bymeans of screws 7, to the lower portion of opposite side walls chambera, and the seat section B is pivoted, as at b, horizontally andwidthwise of the casing A, to the lower ends of thesaid brackets andarranged to swing in a Vertical plane between the brackets. The bracketsC are provided, at their lower ends and below the pivots b, withlaterally and inwardly projecting flan es 8, and the seat-section B isin its downwaidlyswung and horizontal position resting on the flanges 18, as shown in Fig. 4, or in a vertically arranged or upright position,as shown in Fig. 3, according as the seat-section is at one or the otherextremity of its range of movement.

.The back-section D is arranged in an upright position over the rear endof the seatseetion B in the downwardly swung position of theseat-section and at the front of the casing A and preferably in the mainforward of the chamber a as shown in Fig. 2.

The seat-section B comprises a body-portion 10 and two metal bars 12 and12 suitably secured to the said body-portion and extendinglongitudinally of opposite side edges respectively of the seat-section,and the said body-portion is preferably provided with a cushion orupholstered in any approved manner, as at 13, between the bars 12 and12.

The bars 12 of the seat-section B, and consequently the saidseatsection, are provided with members 14 projecting into recesses 15which are formed in the brackets C,which recesses extendcireumferentially of the axis of the seat-section from above the pivotsbaround the rear portions of the said pivots and have end walls 16 and 17spaced circumferentially of the said axis, and the relative arrangementof the parts is such that one or the other end wall of each recess isengaged by the respective member projecting into the recess according asthe seat-section is in its upwardly or downwardly swung position. Figs.1, .3 and 4 show the seat-section in its downwardly swung and horizontalposition, whereas in Fig. 4: the said seat-section is shown in itsupwardly swung or upright position. Ubviously the end walls 16 and 17 ofthe recesses 15 and the recess-engaging members 11 of the seat-sectionconstitute means for limiting the movement of the seatsection.

The back-section preferably comprises a body-portion 20 and two metalbars 22 and 22 suitably secured to the said body-portion and extendingup and down the said bodyportion at opposite side edges respectively ofthe back-section, which bars are provided at their lower ends withforwardly projecting arms .25 which are pivoted parallelly with the axisof the seat-section, as at 26, to the bars 12 of the seat-sectionbetween the free end and the axis of the seat-section.

The body-portion of the back-section I) is provided at its forward sidewith a cushion or otherwise upholstered, as at 23, between the bars 22.The arms 25 of the back-section D and the pivots 2G constitute such anoperative connection between the back-section and the scat-section thatthe back-section is shifted rearwardly and upwardly during the movementof the seat-section into its upright position and forwardly anddownwardly during the movement of the seat-section into its do\\"nwardlyswung position.

Means whereby the back-section D is guided and retained in a verticalposition during its movement are provided and preferably comprise a link0 arranged rearwardly of the upper portion of the back-section centrallybetween the side edges of the backsection and pivoted at opposite ends,horizontally and parallelly with the axis of the seat-section, to theback-section and easing as at 27 and 28 respectively, which link extendsdownwardly and rearwardly to the casing from the back-section in theforward osition of the back-section. Preferably the ink e is arrangedrearward of the upper portion of the back-section and has such lengththat the back-section moves atits upper end in unison with the movementof its lower end during the actuation of the seat-section from the oneto the other of its ositions.

Each bar 1:2 of the seat-section B, and consequently the seat-section,is provided between the adjacent pivot 26 and the adjacent bracket C, asshown in Fig. 2, with an upwardly facing shoulder 18 which is engaged inthe forward position of the back-section by a lug 30 formed on theconnected bar 22 of the back-section, and the said shoulder and the saidlug constitute means whereby the back-section in its forward position isprevented from being swung rearwardly independently of the seat-sectionby any pressure exerted against its forward side. The relativearrangement of the parts is prefcr ably such that both the seat-sectionand the back-section are within the chamber a of the casing A and out ofthe Way when the seatsection is swung into its upright position as shownin Fig. 3.

By the construction hereinbefore described it will be observed that theseat-section is pivotally supported from the casing A and arranged toswing in a vertical plane and is in its downwardly swung position externally of the chamber a, or in an upright position within the saidchamber at the front of the casing, according as the seat-section is atthe one or the other extremity of its range of movement, and that theback section is in its forward position at the front of the said casing,or wholly within the chamber a at the rear of the seat-section,according as the seat-section is in its down wardly swung or uprightposition. It will be observed therefore that the back-section isarranged vertically both in its forward and rear positions and thisvertical arrangement of the back-section is retained during its movementfrom the one to the other of the said positions. In other words by myimproved construction the back-section has both upper and lower endsthereof moving h in unison during the actuation of the backsection fromthe one to the other of the said positions, and the back-section by itsvertical arrai'lgement does not project farther at its lower end than atits upper end from the chamber a in the forward position of theback-section, and consequently the space occupied by the folding seat inthe downwardly swung position of the seat-section is reduced to aminimum.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a folding seat, two laterally spaced stationary brackets providedat their lower ends with laterally and inwardly projecting flanges. aseat-section pivoted to the brackets J and arranged to swing in avertical plane between the brackets and in its downwardly swung positionresting on the aforesaid flanges, a back-section arranged in an uprightposition over the rear end of the seat- 13.

the seat-section and comprising a body-portion and two metal barssecured to and extending up and down the said body-portlon at oppositeside edges respectively of the hack-section, which bars are provided atwardly swung position, and means whereby p axis of the seatsect1on tothe seat-section bethe back-section is guided and retained in an uprightposition during its movement.

2. In a folding seat, a stationary easing which forms a chamber forreceiving the back-section of the seat, which chamber is open at thefront of the casing; the seatsection pivotally supported from the casingand arranged to swing in a vertical plane and being in its downwardlyswung position or in an upright position at the front of the aforesaidcasing according as the seat-section is at the one or the otherextremity of its range of movement; the back-section arranged in anupright position over the rear end of the seat-section and at the frontof the casing or wholly within the aforesaid chamber and rcarwardly ofthe seat-section according as the seat-section is in its downwardlyswung or upright position; means whereby the back-section is shiftedrearwardly during the movement of the seatsertion into its uprightposition and forwardly during the movement of the seatsection into itsdownwardly swung 'osition, and a link arranged rearward of t 1ebacksection and pivoted at opposite ends parallclly with the axis of theseatsection to the back-section and easing rcspectivel and extendingdownwardly and rearwar ly to the casing from the back-section in theforward position of the back-section, said link being arranged parallelwith the back-section in the rear position of the back-section.

3. In a folding seat, the combination, with a pivotally supportedseat-section arranged to swing in a vertical plane, of a backsec tionarranged over the rear end of the seatsection in the downwardly swungposition of their lower ends with forwardl projecting arms which arepivoted paralle ly wlth the tween the free end and the axis of theseatsection so that said arms project forwardly of the said axis in thedownwardly swung position of the seat-section, and means whereby theback-section is guided and retained in an upright position during itsmovement.

4. In a folding seat, a pivotally supported seat-section arranged toswing in a vcrtlcal plane and comprising a bodyortion and two metal barssecured to the said body-portion and extending longitudinally ofopposite side edges respectively of the seat-section; a back-sectionarranged over the rear end of the seat-section in the downwardly swungposition of the seat-section and comprising a body-portion and two metalbars secured to and extending up and down the said body-portion atopposite side ed es respectively of the back-section, Whic bars areprovided at the lower ends with forwardly projecting arms which arepivoted parallelly with the axis of the seat-section to thefirst-mentioned bars between the free end and the axis of theseat-section so that said arms project forwardly of the said axis 1n thedownwardly swung position of the seatsection, and means whereby theback-section is guided and retained in an upright position during itsmovement.

In testimony whereof, I sign the foregoing specification, in thepresence of two witnesses.

JOHN G. ARTER. YVitnesses C. H. Donna, VICTOR C. LYNCH.

